Imzadi Alphabet
by autumnrose2010
Summary: Troi/Riker fluff
1. Alaska

Our wedding took place in Will's beautiful state of Alaska, in the summertime when the valley was covered with a blanket of little bluish purple flowers. Alaska in the wintertime, Will assured me, was entirely different.

"It's a whole new world," he had told me. And so it was. The blanket of wildflowers had been replaced with a blanket of snow, and far in the distance, the snow-capped majesty of the Chugach mountains stood in all its splendor. The frigid air seared my lungs as I inhaled, and the snow made crunching noises under our boots.

"Oh, Will, it's so beautiful," I said. "It all looks so pure...clean...innocent. A world of white. I think I finally understand what the the expression 'Pure as the driven snow' really means."

He laughed, blowing out puffy little clouds. "Growing up here, I suppose I took it for granted at times. But coming back to it after having been away for so long makes me realize how much I missed it."

Hand in hand we strolled, enjoying the scenery. Will let go of my hand, and a few seconds later, I felt something wet and very cold trickle down my back.

"I'm going to get you for that! You come back here right now!"

I immediately gave chase, but with his longer legs plus the fact that he had a head start, I knew that I would never catch up to him. I was laughing so hard that I could barely run anyway.

At last he let me catch up to him, and I smashed a handful of snow into his face. He collapsed onto a snow bank, pulling me down on top of him.

"Okay, you win!" he said. Small clots of snow clung to his beard, and his blue eyes twinkled merrily.

"God, Deanna, against a backdrop of snow, you're even more beautiful," he murmured. His lips found mine, and he kissed me passionately, his tongue thrusting deeply into my mouth. I responded with equal ardor.

Finally he stood, pulling me gently up by my hands.

"Let's go back to the diner, and I'll buy you a huge, steaming mug of delicious hot chocolate," he offered.

Needless to say, I wasn't _about _to turn _that _down.


	2. Betazed

I was overjoyed when I found out that I was to be temporarily stationed on Betazed. The reason was simple: I had always heard that the Betazoids, in addition to being telepaths and empaths, were a very sensual race, given to such practices as free love, which was right up my alley. At that time I was a red-blooded young man who saw himself as God's gift to women. I never suspected that I would meet the love of my life on Betazed.

The first time I saw her was at the wedding of a mutual acquaintance. I simply couldn't take my eyes off her. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and from that moment on, my chief concern was how best to seduce her.

What I didn't realize at the time was that Deanna was different from all the other Betazoid women I had met. While polyamory was also a common practice on Betazed, I soon learned that Deanna was strictly a one-man woman. I have always admired and respected her for that.

When I finally got my chance to be with her, I was beside myself with joy. It was so different with Deanna than it had ever been with anyone else. She was the first woman to ever speak to me with her mind, and from that moment on we shared a unique bond.

Unfortunately, the fates seemed to be against us from the start. Deanna's mother opposed the match, and Deanna didn't want to make her mother unhappy. Also I did something that in hindsight I realize was very stupid. I allowed Wendy Roper to get me drunk and take advantage of me. Deanna caught us together, and it hurt her very badly. I felt terrible about it and tried to apologize, but deep inside I realized that it was too late for that. I left Betazoid shortly afterwards.

I was on Betazoid with Deanna once again, many years later. Both of us were stationed aboard the _Enterprise _at the time, and the two of us had been given a brief shore leave on Deanna's beautiful home planet. Being there with her once again brought the memories flooding back to me. As we walked along hand in hand, feelings of tenderness and desire welled up inside me, and I longed to be with her again. Tenderly, I cupped her chin in my hands and gazed deeply into her dark eyes. I was just about to kiss her lips when we heard her mother approaching, and the spell was broken.

Neither of us knew how long it would be before we would experience another moment like that one.


	3. Chocolate

To me it's simply the most marvelous substance in the universe. The closest I ever came to heaven was a visit to a town on Earth called Hershey, Pennsylvania. They were very kind to me there, allowing me to tour their factory and, best of all, sample their products. Will tells me that when I left that day I had dark smudges around my mouth and the biggest grin on my face he'd ever seen.

My second favorite place on Earth is a little country called Belgium. They have a wide variety of wonderfully delicious chocolates as well, all of which I've sampled at least once.

My love affair with chocolate goes way, way back. My father was a Starfleet officer who was originally from Earth, and when I was a little girl, he would bring me the most luscious chocolates back from his various travels. I don't even remember the first time I tasted chocolate, I was so young then. It was probably my first solid food.

Will, who attended an Episcopal church as a child, told me of the Christian holiday of Easter, of which one of the customs is the devouring of an entire chocolate bunny. As soon as I learned of that tradition, I began to plan trips to Earth in early spring whenever possible.

As much as I love Easter, though, I'd have to say that my favorite Earth holiday is Valentine's day, because Will always buys me a huge box of assorted chocolates on that day.

I once told Will that chocolate was my second greatest love, right after him, of course. He laughed and asked whether I would actually prefer a life-size chocolate replica of him to the real thing. I told him no, that there were just too many things I could do with him that I couldn't do with chocolate. Well, maybe I could, but I'm not _that_ kinky.


	4. Deanna

The sound of her name has always meant happiness to me. I've loved her from the moment I first saw her, although it took much too long for me to realize that. Although our relationship certainly hasn't always been perfect, we've always been there for one another, and she's always meant much more to me than she'll ever realize.

I remember how shocked I was when I was first beamed aboard the _Enterprise _at Farpoint and discovered that she was a fellow crew member. My initial fear was that she was still angry at me for having cancelled our vacation plans on Risa. How relieved I was when she spoke kindly to me with her mind and I found that I could still hear her voice in my head.

I was so jealous when I thought that she was about to marry Wyatt Miller. Although it would have been an arranged marriage rather than one she had actively sought, it disturbed me to imagine Wyatt in bed with her. I wasn't at all sure that I was ready for marriage myself at the time, yet in the back of my mind, I somehow hoped that she would still be available and interested when I finally decided that I was. Now I realize, to my regret, how immature and truly selfish my attitude was.

Another time, I was offered a position as Captain on _the U.S.S. Ares_ and seriously considered accepting it. I went to her office to tell her good-bye, and she started crying. Her reaction was a big factor in my ultimate decision to decline the offer. That, plus the fact that I wasn't at all sure that I could take being that far away from her and not knowing when or if I would ever see her again.

Many years later, she and I were in the library doing research together and she started to massage my neck. All the feelings I had had for her before came rushing back, and I just couldn't wait for another chance to hold her in my arms again. How happy I was to find that the feelings I had for her were mutual and that she was willing to give our relationship another chance.


	5. Elizabeth

"How much do you remember about your mother?" I asked Will one day.

"Hardly anything at all," he said sadly. "I was only two years old when she died."

"That's just so sad."

"She just suddenly fell very sick one day. She made it to the hospital, but she passed away not long afterwards. My dad was holding her hand when the end came."

"That must have been so hard for him, to just sit there and watch her die and not be able to do anything about it."

"I'm sure it was," Will said softly. He left the room for a moment and returned holding something.

"This is the last photo that was ever taken of me and her together."

I took the photo and examined it closely. Elizabeth Riker had been a beautiful woman, with dark hair and blue eyes like her son. I could definitely see traces of Will in her face, especially in her smile. Will had been a chubby two-year-old with a mop of dark brown hair and big round blue eyes. Oblivious to the sorrow soon to come, he wore an angelic smile on his little face. He was wearing brightly colored overalls with a picture of a train on the front and a matching t-shirt and tiny sneakers. He clutched a toy in one hand as he sat in his mother's lap.

"Oh Will, you were adorable! And your mother was simply beautiful."

"Yes, she was," he said softly. I handed the photo back to him and he left the room again to put it away.


	6. Fishing

I'll never forget the first time I took Deanna fishing. The sky was a gorgeous blue, the sun warmed our skin, and tiny insects buzzed all around us.

"Lesson number one: baiting the hook," I told Deanna. "Be very careful. See this barb? If it sticks in you, it will have to be removed surgically."

"Have you ever got one stuck in you?"

"Of course not." I gave her an incredulous look, then picked up a worm and began to demonstrate the proper technique.

"Oh, the poor thing," Deanna exclaimed, watching the worm twist and turn.

"He'll be out of his misery in seconds," I assured her. "Lesson number two: casting. Watch closely." Deanna watched as the baited hook flew way out over the water.

"What comes next?"

"Next, you wait until you feel something tugging at your line. Then you reel it in. That's all there is to it." Noticing that Deanna was still watching me expectantly, I leaned back against the side of the boat and laughed.

"You might be waiting for awhile," I said, grabbing a beer and offering her one.

"Oh, I think I've got something!" Deanna cried excitedly after awhile. I watched with amusement as she reeled in a huge chunk of seaweed that had gotten caught on her hook.

"It's all right," I laughed as I re-cast her line for her. "I'm sure the next thing you catch will be edible."

I caught a couple of fish, and Deanna lost her bait a couple of times.

"You have to be faster than that, dear," I told her gently.

"You make it look so easy," she pouted.

"It _is _easy, once you get the hang of it," I told her.

I caught three more fish while Deanna sat patiently staring at her pole.

"Wow, I think I finally got something!" she shouted excitedly after awhile. She handed her pole to me.

"You reel it in," she said nervously.

Seeing that time was of the essence, I took the pole from her and quickly reeled in a huge fish, a split second before he would have broken the line and swam away.

"Congratulations, honey! You did it!" I grinned at her.

"You were the one who reeled it in," she said modestly.

"But you caught it," I told her. "And that's all right. You'll reel in the next one. You're doing just fine, Deanna. I lot of patience and a little bit of practice is all it takes."

She smiled shyly, and I reached for her. We hugged and kissed.

"We're going to have a real feast tonight," I said as we headed back for the shore.


	7. Getting Married

My heart was pounding so hard it felt as if it would jump right out of my chest as I looked at Will, somber and dashing in a tuxedo, standing at the altar waiting for me. As the music began to play, I took the first step down the aisle. All our friends and family members watched in awe as I strode slowly and purposefully toward my destination. Jean-Luc and Beverly were ever so regal and stately as best man and matron of honor. As I approached Will to stand at his side, I could sense that he was every bit as nervous and excited as I was.

The music stopped and a hush fell over the crowd as the minister began to speak. _At last this day is finally here, _I thought to myself. _The day that Will and I will finally be joined together as one, for life. _

I remembered all the times over the years I had remembered his touch, his kiss, and his loving words. I remembered the pain in my heart every time I had seen him with another woman, how badly I had wished that it were me instead of her. But Jalara Falls had been so long ago. He had changed, I had changed, life had changed. It was all just water under the bridge now, wasn't it? I was afraid to probe too deeply into his thoughts, afraid of what I might find. Several times I thought of simply asking him how he would feel about renewing our relationship, but as far as I could tell, he seemed to be happy with the way things were, and in the end I wasn't able to summon the courage.

It had gone on that way for fifteen years. Fifteen long years. And then one day everything had changed.

"I do," Will said in response to the minister's question, no hesitation whatsoever in his voice.

How long I had waited to finally hear those words! Now as they fell from his lips, they filled my heart with happiness. My dream of becoming Mrs. William Thomas Riker was finally coming true, and it was the happiest day of my life.

"You may kiss the bride," the minister was saying now. I felt Will's strong, caring arms around me as he lifted my veil and softly kissed my lips.

I heard Will's mind speak to my own. _This time it's forever, Imzadi._

_Forever, _my mind echoed as tears of happiness filled my eyes.

As the music began to play once more and our friends and family rose to congratulate us, Will took my hand and we began our new life together.


	8. Holodeck

"I'll let you go just as soon as you give me the deed to your ranch!" Bad John roared. He had tied Durango to the railroad track, and she shook with fear as her big brown eyes filled with tears.

"Wild Bill! Save me!" she called when she saw me. One well-aimed blow from my fist sent Bad John reeling. I knelt to untie Durango from the railroad tracks just a few moments before we heard the train coming.

"Oh, Wild Bill! My hero!" Durango cried as she threw her arms around my neck.

"Aw, shucks," I said with a modest grin.

Later we were in the saloon celebrating her narrow escape when the organ music stopped and everyone gasped as the saloon doors swung open to reveal Bad John, who swaggered right up to me.

"This here town ain't big enough for the two of us, cowboy," he snarled.

I glared at him defiantly.

"High noon," he said menacingly.

"High noon," I repeated calmly.

"Oh, Wild Bill, please be careful," Durango begged me as I prepared to go out and meet him at exactly high noon.

"Aw, ain't nothing gonna happen to me," I assured her, not feeling nearly as confident as I sounded.

Finally high noon arrived, and I gave Durango a quick kiss and strode out to meet Bad John.

A few minutes later, Bad John and I stood facing each other, hands on our pistols. He drew first and shot; his aim was true, and if his bullet had been real it likely would have taken me down. A split second later, a shot rang out from my pistol, and Bad John, not being real himself, simply vaporized.

As the townsfolk cheered, Durango and I left the holodeck and went back to being simply Deanna and Will once again.


	9. Ian

"I remember the very last time I saw my father just as clearly as if it were yesterday," I told Will. "He stood there in his Starfleet uniform, looking so dignified, yet with such tender love for me in his eyes. I knew that he had an important job to do, but I hated to see him leave."

"'I'm going to miss you, Daddy,' I said, trying hard not to cry. 'I'm going to miss you too, Durango,' he said. 'Be a brave girl and when I come back I'll bring you a nice surprise.' 'Another Cowboy Ralph book?' I asked excitedly. I loved to read about the adventures of Cowboy Ralph in the Wild West of nineteenth century America. 'Maybe so,' he said with a smile. He hugged me tightly - more tightly than he had ever hugged me before - and then he kissed me good-bye and was gone."

"I was away at school the day my mother got the news. I came home to find her eyes red from crying and knew that something terrible had happened."

"'Your father's gone,' she told me. 'Gone where?' I asked, too young to understand. 'He was working in an old building when it collapsed on him and crushed him. He was hurt so badly that he died,' she said.'"

"His body was never recovered. His funeral was a few days later. It was so painful for me to see my mother cry. She's always been such a strong woman, and I couldn't stand to see her reduced to tears. She and I both cried a lot for a long time after the funeral. I could hardly believe that I would never see him again, but as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, I realized that it was true. My memories of him began to grow fainter and fainter, and I wanted desperately for that not to happen, so I did things that made me think of him, like reading my Cowboy Ralph books over and over again. My mother thought that it wasn't healthy for me to spend so much time doing that and took me to a child psychologist. He told her that I had to grieve in my own way and that eventually I would be all right."

"Did things get better for you after you saw the child psychologist?" asked Will.

"Not right away. I felt like a piece of myself was missing for a long time. Eventually though, things got...a little bit easier. As I got older, I began to meet others who had lost loved ones and had somehow gotten through it. They were a real inspiration to me, and still are."

Will put his arm around me, and I rested my head on his shoulder. It was one of those times when no words were needed.


	10. Jalara Falls

I found Deanna exactly where I knew I'd find her, sitting on the stony outcropping beside the waterfall, hugging her knees, her eyes wide with terror.

"Hey, it's all right." I went to her and put my arms around her and held her tightly. "They're gone now. You're safe."

"Oh, Will..." She put her arms around my neck, and I could feel her hot breath on my skin and smell the sweet, slightly musky aroma emanating off of her.I kissed the top of her head and felt on my lips how hot the sun had made her silky hair.

She shivered in my arms, and I held her tightly until she was calmer.

"There, now," I said. "It's all over with."

She raised her eyes to look into mine, and I touched the tip of her nose with my own. She raised her lips to kiss me, and I tasted the light saltiness as my flesh touched hers. Her lips parted slightly, and my tongue met hers. The next thing I knew, we were kissing deeply, eagerly exploring one another's mouths.

I began to fondle Deanna's breasts through the flimsy material that covered them, feeling the hard little bumps of her erect nipples. She moaned softly, which made me go weak with desire.

Slowly, ever so slowly, I raised her upper garment and slipped it over her head. Then I unfastened her bra and let it fall away, exposing her brownish pink nipples. I took one into my mouth and gently suckled, listening to her moans of pleasure, which were driving me wild with excitement. After awhile I moved my mouth to the other nipple, at the same time fondling the area between her legs through the clothing covering her entrance. She moved against my hand rhythmically, and I felt myself grow hard to the point that my underpants became uncomfortably tight.

Deanna's hand found the bulge in my pants and cupped it, and it strained against her hand, longing for release. As if reading my mind, she gently tugged my pants down, then hooked her fingers under the elastic of my underwear and pulled it down too. My erection sprung up to meet her.

"Ooh," she said appreciatively, grasping my stiffness at the base and slowly moving her hand up and down. Now I was the one doing the loud moaning.

"Do you like that?" she asked seductively.

"Oh, yes," I breathed. She gently pushed me until I was lying on my back, then began to kiss my member all over, until at last she took me into her mouth, gently licking and sucking. The sensation of her wet tongue all over me caused me to have an explosive orgasm almost immediately. Deanna swallowed every drop, then kissed me deeply once again so that I tasted myself in her mouth.

"Your panties are so incredibly wet," I told her as I fondled her through them. The urgent moans escaping her mouth told me what she wanted. Gently and slowly, I grabbed the elastic of her panties and pulled them down her legs so that they were completely off her.

She parted her legs wide for me, and the hot, musky aroma of her center rose up to meet my nostrils, causing me to instantly become hard again. I knelt and began to gently lick and suck at her delicate folds, hearing her moans increase. When at last my tongue touched her most sensitive organ, she screamed as a shattering orgasm washed over her.

I moved to where our hips were level and entered her while kissing her lips. She moved against me, and I began to thrust, slowly at first, then picking up the pace. I stimulated her with my fingers and quickly brought her to a second climax, feeling my own orgasm mount just seconds later.

When it was over, I moved to roll off her.

"No, stay," she whispered. So I stayed where I was until I felt myself go soft. Then I rolled onto my back and clasped Deanna tightly to me.

"Better now?" I asked softly.

"Much," she murmured. We lay like that until the sun began to set over the jungle, cooling the rocks and reminding us that we were naked.


	11. Kyle

I remember the first time I met Will's father. We were both stationed aboard the _Enterprise, _and Will had been offered the opportunity to become the captain of the _U.S.S. Ares. _His father had arrived to brief him on the promotion.

Looking at Kyle Riker, it was easy to see where Will had gotten both his good looks and his charm from. Unfortunately, however, there was a long-standing rift between the two men. Kyle had suffered an emotional breakdown and abandoned Will when the boy was only fifteen, and Will had had to finish raising himself. The experience had instilled in Will a strong sense of independence and self-reliance, but even after all these years, he was still hurting emotionally from his father's desertion. I had a serious talk with Kyle, explaining to him that in order to heal the rift, he would have to earn Will's respect.

Things finally came to a head when Kyle challenged his son to a martial arts competition. Kyle won the competition, but Will caught him using an illegal move to do so. It was then that Will realized that his father had been using the illegal move to win martial arts competitions all along.

Hurt and betrayed, Will finally had a heart-to-heart conversation with his father and told him how he had felt over the years and why he had felt that way. In the end the two men formed a kind of truce and were able to begin healing their troubled relationship.

Kyle came to our wedding in Alaska many years later, and although things between the two men were still far short of perfect, I was happy to see that they both at least made the effort to get along.


	12. Lwaxana

The sound of her name strikes fear into the heart of many a brave man. Hardier souls than I have desperately sought cover at the sound of her footsteps. She is both the bane of my existence and the source of the object of my greatest happiness. Her name is Lwaxana Troi.

One thing I can say for sure is that if you ever have an encounter with her, you will never forget it. To say that she marches to the beat of a different drum would be a nice way to put it. Of all the women I've had the pleasure of meeting, my most lingering memory, besides that of Deanna, is of her.

When she went through 'The Phase', she considered me as a possible mate, but fortunately, Deanna talked her out of it. Jean-Luc wasn't so lucky. For years afterwards, she planned and plotted how best to make that man her own. She never had the slightest bit of success, but she sure didn't give up easily.

To be fair, I'd have to say that her luck with men has indeed been abysmally bad so far. Her husband Ian, who adored her, died suddenly and unexpectedly when she was still fairly young. Then there was Timicin, who was caring and loving but was required by his culture to commit ritualistic suicide on his sixtieth birthday. Much later, there was Jeyal the Tavnian, who wanted to take their newborn son from her and raise him alone, as that was the Tavnian custom. I always thought that it was a real shame that Odo loved someone else and so couldn't return the love she had for him. I really think they would have been good together.

To Deanna, she has always been a loving and caring mother, albeit a bit controlling at times. I've always admired the way Deanna always seems to pacify her without getting her own feathers ruffled. It's truly a mystery to me how the two of them can be mother and daughter yet have such completely different personalities. Deanna must have been greatly influenced by her father, even though she lost him at such a young age.

Lwaxana is my wife's mother, and the grandmother of any children I may have, and as such, she's a permanent fixture in my life, whether I like it or not. Over time, I've found that good-natured condescension seems to be the best way of dealing with her.


	13. Mourning

"Data." I couldn't stop myself from crying as I spoke his name. It was just so hard for me to believe that I really would never see our dear friend again. He had sacrificed his life to destroy the weapon Shinzon had intended to use to destroy Earth. There had been only one portable transporter available, and he had used it to beam Captain Picard back to the _Enterprise, _staying behind to bravely face death alone.

I felt Will's strong arms encircle me and hold me tight, and I rested my head on his shoulder as I sobbed. I felt his hand stroke my hair and rub my back as he whispered comforting words.

"I loved him too, Dee. We all did. It hurts to know that we'll never see him again. But he went the way he would have wanted to go, for a greater cause, the preservation of humanity. Try to remember all the good times we had with him. That's what he would have wanted."

I nodded. "Do you think he realized how much I loved him, Will? I'm not sure that I ever told him."

"I'm certain of it, Dee. Out of all of us, you're probably the one who showed him the most kindness and compassion. I think that's only natural, considering what polar opposites the two of you were, in a way. He was incapable of feeling emotion, while you feel not only your own emotions, but those of others as well."

I had to smile at the truth of that statement. My half Betazoid heritage put me at a disadvantage at sorrowful gatherings such as funerals and memorial services, as I felt not only my own grief, but that of others as well. I knew that Will understood that and was trying to give me as much time as possible to be alone with my sorrow, while still being there for me when I needed his support.

"I wonder what his very last thoughts were," I mused.

"Probably that it was all worth it to know that the human race would survive after all," Will suggested.

"I remember how badly he always wanted to be human," I said. "Yet in a way I believe that he was more human than any of the rest of us."

"I agree completely," Will said. I finally lifted my head from his chest, and he cupped my chin with his hand.

"Are you going to be okay now?" he asked. I nodded. I would still be very sad for a long time, but I would survive. It's what Data would have wanted.


	14. Night Bird

It's the one piece that I could never get quite right. I'd been practicing it for over ten years, and in all that time I had never made it through the solo.

It was jazz night in Ten Forward on the _Enterprise, _and I had just finished playing 'Tell them I remember you' and asked if there were any requests. "Night Bird," Deanna called out right away.

Deanna knew what a struggle I had had with that particular piece, so you can imagine the consternation I felt at her request. I tried to act as if I hadn't heard her and called out once more for requests.

"Night Bird!" Deanna called, louder this time. I had to admit that she had indeed backed me into a corner.

"Ladies and gentlemen, 'Night Bird'," I conceded. I was just getting ready to attempt the piece once again when I heard Data's voice over the intercom.

"Data to Commander Riker."

"Go ahead," I said.

"Commander, you are needed on the Bridge."

Never before had those words sounded so welcome to me.

"On my way. Saved by the bell."


	15. Opal Sea

"Finally," Will said huskily, pulling me into his arms for a deep, passionate kiss. We had just boarded the _Calypso II _on the Opal Sea to begin our honeymoon cruise. After a long delay caused by the trouble with Shinzon and the Romulans, we were so happy to be able to begin our honeymoon. In addition, our grief over the loss of our dear friend Data was still raw, and we both knew that the solace we saught would be found within one another's arms.

I relaxed into Will's embrace, feeling his strong arms hold me as his tongue eagerly explored my mouth.

"Let's go below deck," he whispered after awhile. We went down the steps to the sleeping quarters, where we continued to embrace and kiss as we lay on the bed. Soon my nipples were tingling, and I could feel the area between my legs growing warm, swollen, and moist. I could feel Will's erection through his pants too.

We disentangled from one another only long enough to shed all of our clothing, dropping each item on the floor beside the bed. When we were completely naked, we came together once again. Will left a trail of kisses down my neck and over my collar bone. At the same time, his fingers moved between my legs and began to stroke me there, while I took his hardness into my hand and began to gently move my fingers up and down its entire length, lingering over the tip. Will worked his way down to my breasts, where he took first one nipple, then the other, into his mouth to gently lick and suckle them.

Just when I thought that I could stand the suspense no longer, Will changed position, moving his head to between my legs so that his tongue could take over what his fingers had been doing. I had an explosive orgasm almost immediately, squirming with pleasure as I moaned and called his name.

Next, Will lay back on the bed as I took his firm manhood into my mouth, licking and sucking on it while my fingers explored the sensitive skin just behind his testicles. He let me know the entire time how much he enjoyed what I was doing by the sounds he made. When he began to thrust into my mouth, I lay back on the bed and he entered me.

I came again a short time later, with Will following right behind. Silently, he moved to where he was lying right beside me and took me into his arms. Both of us waited for our breathing to return to normal.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting for this," he whispered.

"Me too," I agreed.

He grinned at me and kissed my lips gently. "Welcome to married life, Mrs. Troi-Riker." We lay still for a long time, just listening to the waves softly lap the side of the yacht and the birds call to each other.


	16. Proposal

_A/N: For the benefit of those who might not recognize it, the scene Will and Deanna are reliving is the one in the first part of the episode 'Menage a Troi.' :) _

I waited until I thought it was the perfect time.

"Come with me," I said to Deanna. "I have something special for us on the holodeck."

"This looks just like Betazed!" she exclaimed as we stepped into the program.

"That's right." I smiled and took her hand as we began to walk along a winding path surrounded by greenery and bordering a lake. "Do you remember the last time we were in this very spot?"

Deanna paused and looked thoughtful. "This is where we were when we went on shore leave all those years ago, right before my mother..." She rolled her eyes, and I laughed.

"Well, Lwaxana's not here now, so we have the entire place all to ourselves."

"I remember it was right over there where we almost kissed, right before Mother and the Ferengi showed up."

We stepped off the path and walked to the spot to which Deanna had pointed. First, I kissed her as I had intended to do all that time ago, before we had been interrupted. Then I took something from my pocket and got down on one knee. I opened the small box to show her the diamond ring inside it.

"Deanna Troi, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Oh yes!" Her eyes danced with joy as I slipped the ring onto her finger. "I love you, Will Riker."

"And I love you, Imzadi." I stood again and we began to kiss.


	17. Quilt

We were visiting Alaska once again. Outside the cabin a blizzard was raging. In our bedroom, Will and I were snug in bed under the quilt one of his ancestors had purchased from some Eskimos many years before.

"Wow, just listen to that wind whistle!" Will exclaimed. We had just finished making love and were enjoying the afterglow of our passion.

"I guess you must have gotten used to it growing up here," I told him.

"True," he said. "Although time spend aboard a perfectly temperature-controlled starship does tend to make you take warmth for granted, and you never even think about it until you're back at the mercy of the elements."

"I just adore this quilt," I said. "There's just nothing like listening to a storm outside while snuggling all warm and cozy under a quilt inside. Nothing that can be reproduced on the holodeck is quite the same."

"I agree with you one hundred percent on that one, hon," Will murmured. "Of course, it helps tremendously to have another warm body to cuddle up to as well."

I giggled and nestled more closely to him, pulling the quilt up to just under my chin, and was soon asleep.


	18. Red Roses

Of all the flowers on Earth, red roses are Deanna's absolute favorite. If she ever needs cheering up for any reason, red roses are the best way, next to chocolate of course, to do it.

How well I remember the first time I ever gave Deanna red roses. We were visiting Earth and had just had a huge fight. What about, I don't even remember. All I know is that I was walking along trying to think of a way to make it up to her when I noticed that I was walking right past a flower shop. I stepped inside, and this big bunch of roses caught my eye right away.

They were the most beautiful red roses I had ever seen. Certainly Deanna would forget all about our fight as soon as she saw them, I thought as I made my purchase.

"Imzadi!" I called to her as as soon as I returned home.

"Are those for me?" Her eyes grew round when she saw the flowers.

"They're for you, Imzadi, as a way of saying how sorry I am for our fight," I told her.

"Oh, Will, they're lovely! Thank you!" Deanna hugged and kissed me, and I knew that my gesture had been successful.


	19. Soren

She was definitely one of the most unusual people I'd ever met. Tall and slender, dressed in a loose-fitting tan uniform-type outfit, her hair cut short, it would have been impossible for a casual observer to guess her true gender, but thanks to my Betazoid empathic abilities, I knew two things about her right away. She was a woman, and she was attracted to Will.

At that time I'd made peace with the fact that the romance between myself and Will was over, that we were close friends but nothing more. No longer haunted by dreams of what might have been, I enjoyed Will's company very much but never expected anything more from him than he was willing to give.

I wasn't surprised at all when he came to visit me in my quarters and told me that he had developed feelings for Soren. I was flattered that he cared enough about my feelings to be concerned that the relationship he planned to pursue might adversely affect our friendship. I assured him that that would not be the case, and he was vastly relieved. Then, to my utter surprise, he kissed my lips. At that instant, a feeling that I thought had died flickered back to life for one brief instant before returning to dormancy.

I felt genuinely sad for Will when Soren was subjected to the psychotectic treatment against her will and then refused to join him on the _Enterprise. _I still remember how the look of despair on his face tore at my heart when he came to visit me afterwards.

"She's gone, Dee." I heard the sob in his voice.

"I'm so sorry, Will."

"If only I'd gotten there in time..."

"I know." I realized that that was an 'if only' that would haunt him for a very long time, possibly even for the rest of his life. He held his arms out to me, and I went to him and let him hold me tightly. I knew that he would find the woman that he would end up spending the rest of his life with some day. At that time I just never suspected that that woman would turn out to be me.


	20. Thomas

The first time I saw him, I couldn't believe it at first. That in the universe there could be another being exactly like me, even down to my memories, was almost too much for me to comprehend. Even after I understood how the accident with the transporter beam had caused him to come into being, it was still very difficult to get used to the idea of his existence.

When I realized that he had romantic intentions toward Deanna, I became very concerned. Although we were just friends at the time, I remembered how badly hurt she had been when I had sacrificed our relationship for my career, and I didn't want her to be hurt like that again.

At the time I never would have admitted it, not even to myself, but seeing Deanna and Thomas together sparked a feeling inside of me that could have only been described as jealousy tinged with regret. Regret that my own relationship with Deanna had ended the way it had, and jealousy because, deep down inside, I wished that I could somehow reverse time and once again have the chance that I had blown before. The chance that now belonged to Thomas.

I was relieved when Deanna chose not to accompany Thomas to his new posting aboard the _U.S.S. Gandhi. _Although it may have been selfish of me to feel that way, I found it very hard to imagine life aboard the _Enterprise _without Deanna. I could only picture it as being quite bleak and lifeless.

I went to visit her in her quarters after Thomas had left.

"Are you all right?" I asked her.

"I'm fine," she said serenely.

"Are you really?" I asked.

"Of course I am," she replied. "Please don't worry about me."

"It's just that I know you were really starting to care for him, so I know you must miss him," I said gently.

Deanna sighed. "I made a mistake," she admitted. "I thought that being in a relationship with Thomas would somehow make up for the way my relationship with you ended, but I was wrong. Seeing the two of you together forced me to realize that Thomas is Thomas, and you're you. What you and I had together, Will, was unique and special, and no other relationship could ever be quite the same."

"Deanna, I sincerely hope that you will some day find the man who will bring you the happiness you deserve," I told her.

"Thank you. I'm sure that I will," she said.


	21. USS Ares

"I came to say good-bye." Will looked somber as he entered my quarters. My heart was heavy as I realized that this might be the last time I would see him for a very long time, if ever. He had decided to accept the position of Captain of the _U.S.S. Ares. _It would mean a promotion for him, and in that respect I was happy for him, yet I felt an emptiness, and aching inside, when I contemplated the fact that he was really about to leave the _Enterprise _for good.

"I can't read your feelings," I told him. It was true. My Imzadi connection with Will seemed blocked, somehow.

"Maybe your own feelings are getting in the way," he suggested.

"It's my job to help others manage _their _feelings. My own feelings are beside the point," I told him.

"Not to me," he said gently. I realized that, although our romantic relationship had ended, Will still cared for me deeply, and that touched me.

"Do you feel sad right now?" I asked him.

"Yes," he said.

"So do I." I could hold back the tears no longer. As they flowed down my cheeks, I felt his arms embrace me and hold me tight. The connection that had seemed blocked was now restored, and we comforted one another in our mutual sorrow over yet another impending separation.


	22. Vagra II

I was immediately concerned when I heard that the _Enterprise _had been unable to beam Deanna and her pilot aboard after they had crash-landed on the planet Vagra II. Deanna had been away at a conference, and I had missed her and looked forward to seeing her again. I was eager to be part of the away team sent to rescue her.

As soon as we beamed down to the planet, we saw what had prevented the transporter's success. A black, tar-like substance was blocking the way to the shuttle.

Poor Tasha. If I'd had any idea how truly evil and powerful Armus was, I'd have never let her challenge him like she did, but before I realized it, it was too late and he'd already zapped the life right out of her.

I knew how devastated Deanna was by the loss of Tasha. How I longed to hold and comfort her! But with Armus blocking the way, there was no way in the world I'd ever reach her, and suddenly I found myself engulfed in the black slime of which he was composed.

I don't think I've ever been more frightened in my life than I was at that moment. I couldn't move at all, not even to inhale. I felt myself becoming extremely dizzy as I was tossed about like a rag doll, and I was sure that I was about to die.

Words can't describe the relief I felt when Armus finally spewed me back out onto the planet's surface. Although deeply saddened by Tasha's death, the foremost thing on my mind was the rescue of Deanna. Eventually Armus' energy field was weakened enough that that was possible.

Tasha's memorial service was one of the saddest events of my life. Deanna cried as I held her, comforting her the best I knew how. Neither of us would ever forget that Tasha had given her life in the attempt to rescue her friends, and we would both feel eternally grateful to her for that.


	23. Will

He's the very first man I ever allowed to touch my soul. Ever since that encounter at Jalara Falls, a special bond has always existed between us. When we're together, spoken words aren't even necessary, because each of us always knows exactly what the other is thinking.

It would be hard to say exactly when I first realized that I loved him. It was certainly before the day we fulfilled our passion at Jalara Falls. I can't begin to tell you how badly I was hurt when I caught him with Wendy Roper, and when he then left abruptly without even saying good-bye. I cried over that for a long time, but even then, I was still willing to give our relationship another chance. I was absolutely devastated when he stood me up on Risa.

I don't know why it took us both so long to grow up and mature, but grow up and mature we did. The man who now shares my life hasn't lost the playful mischievousness of youth, but now it's balanced out with an adult seriousness and strength that only comes with inner growth. Every morning I look into his eyes and know what a lucky woman I am, and it gives me joy beyond measure to know that he feels the same way about me.


	24. Xanadu

"So what was this special thing you wanted to show me?" I asked Deanna as she led me into the living room of our quarters.

"It's an earth movie from 1980." she told me.

"Oh, no," I groaned. "Another one of your cheesy romantic comedies?"

"This one's actually pretty good," she told me. "It's about a muse named Kira who falls in love with a mortal."

"You mean like Samantha the witch being in love with Daryl the mortal in that old TV show from the 1960's?"

"Kind of like that," Deanna said. "Except that in this movie, Kira's parents try to keep her apart from the mortal she loves."

"Sounds like your kind of movie, all right," I said. "So, do Kira and her mortal get to stay together in the end?"

"Oh, _I'm _not going to tell you that." She frowned and gave me a mischievous grin. "You'll just have to watch the movie."


	25. Yamaha

I heard an incredibly loud noise, and before I realized it, Will had appeared before me, perched upon one of the most bizarre contraptions I've ever seen in my life. It had two wheels, a handlebar, a very narrow seat, and a very loud engine.

"What in the world?" I had to scream to be heard.

"Hop on!" Will said cheerfully. "But first, put this on." He handed me a helmet of some sort that had straps that fastened under the chin.

"What is this?" I demanded.

"A twenty-first century form of transportation called a motorcycle," Will told me. "Come on! It's fun!"

I climbed on behind him and hung on for dear life as he sped back and forth over the ground. I did have to admit that the sensation of the wind blowing against my skin gave me a feeling of freedom which I hadn't often felt before.

Finally Will brought the motorcycle to a stop.

"How'd you enjoy that?" he asked me.

"I do have to admit that it was a most interesting experience," I told him.

"So would you like to try it again sometime?"

"Perhaps..."


	26. Zipper

Deanna and I were preparing for a fancy ball. We were on Earth, specifically in Paris, France, which is one of our favorite cities on Earth.

"Can you help me for just a sec, hon?" Deanna asked.

"Sure, hon." I adjusted my tie and studied the results in the mirror. "What do you need?"

"It's my zipper." Deanna grimaced. "I think it's stuck."

I went to investigate and found that, to my chagrin, I couldn't budge the zipper either. I tried lowering it slowly and then tugging it up quickly. That sometimes worked.

"Ouch!" Deanna cried.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry," I said, realizing that I had inadvertently caught her skin between the zipper's teeth.

"Please be more careful!" Deanna snapped.

"Oh, I will, hon," I promised. "Maybe this will help." Quickly I snatched a jar of petroleum jelly from the medicine cabinet and rubbed the gel all along the zipper's teeth. Then I tugged the zipper up once more.

"Voila!" I exclaimed as the zipper slid all the way up the back of the dress.

"Oh, Will, you're wonderful." Deanna turned and kissed my lips.

"I know I am." I grinned.


End file.
